Ajit Pawar quits, NCP says no threat to Maha govt

Maharashtra Deputy Chief MinisterAjit Pawar today resigned amid allegations of irregularitiesin granting administrative approvals for projects involvingseveral crore of rupees during his decade-long tenure asirrigation minister and said he was ready to face a CBI probe.

Pawar sprang a surprise by announcing his resignationat a hurriedly-called press conference following media reportspointing finger at him over the alleged scam, but said hewould continue to lead the NCP legislature party as long ashe enjoys its support.

He also ruled out any threat to the stability of the Congress-NCP government following his resignation.

"My conscience does not permit me to stay on asminister. People of the state consider me as a leader who doeswhat he says. I don't want my image to be tarnished and theresignation will send a message to the people that I am notafter positions of power," Pawar, nephew of Union Minister andNCP chief Sharad Pawar, said.

"I will now be an ordinary NCP legislator. This willenable me to devote more time to party work," Pawar said,adding he was ready for a probe by any agency including theCBI.

Pawar, whose party has been running an uneasycoalition dispensation headed by the Congress in the state,however, said there was no threat to the government. "Thegovernment is stable," he added.

Responding to a volley of questions, he said he didnot feel that Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan or the Congressparty was responsible for attempting to tarnish his image.

"But NCP is growing and some people cannot digest this fact,"he said, without naming those whom he suspected were behindthe move.

Pawar said he had sent his resignation letter to chief minister's office and, as Chavan was not in Mumbai, it was handed over to his principal secretary AK Jain.